Cruel Heart
by Cariah Delonne
Summary: Jareth wants Sarah to return to the labyrinth. It's not because he loves her - in fact, he hates her. But he wants her to pay the eternal price, and he's willing to be evil and manipulative to get what he wants.
1. Underground

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing here, except the plot. But like most people who write Labyrinth fan fiction, I _wish I owned Jareth. Unfortunately for me, and all those other unhappy Jareth-less people, I don't. Jim Henson does. So don't sue me, I know I own nothing *cries* _

**Cruel Heart  
**By Cariah Delonne.

**Chapter 1: Underground.******

Jareth perched outside Sarah's window disguised as the snowy owl, watching his subjects party into the night with the mortal. He may not have power over her – yet, but he did have control over his subjects. They would not be revisiting her anytime soon.   
He flew off into the night, words echoing in his head. 

_You remind me of the babe  
-What babe?__  
The babe with the power…_

Arriving back at his castle, he mulled over the past thirteen hours. He had done everything she wanted; everything she had asked for, he had done without question. And still, she had not been swayed from her goal, she had not taken his bait. He thought he had her once they were in the ballroom, thought she had forgotten everything, so that he could claim his prizes an hour later, only for her to turn up at his castle. 

It wasn't that he was evil – at least _he didn't think he was evil, but any mortal foolish enough to wish someone away to him had to face the consequences. Somehow, she had tricked him, tricked the Labyrinth, into letting her through. For the first time, someone had not paid the eternal price for their stupidity. He may be Fae, he may be immortal, but he did not have time to waste on foolish mortals, and no-one was to leave without paying their debt to him for his time. It was only fair. Not that anyone had left before at all…_

He heard a scuffle in the hallway, and a troop of goblins entered the throne room, escorting his traitorous subjects towards their King. Jareth noticed the dwarf – _Headwart? _– trembling furiously, trying to edge away. Coward. The large red hairy monster moaned pitifully and the Fireys attempted to escape by disassembling themselves. 

Growling in anger, the troupe fell silent as Jareth raised himself from where he was lethargically stretched over his throne. He moved steadily towards the dwarf, crouching down and staring into his eyes. 

"Tut-tut, Headwart," he started.   
"Hoggle," interrupted the dwarf quietly.   
Jareth's eyes flashed in anger, and he lifted _Hoggle clear of the ground by his ears. Holding him at arms length because of his flailing arms and legs, Jareth whispered menacingly in his ear. "Do you remember what I promised I would do to you if __she ever kissed you?"_

Hoggle's eyes widened, and he stopped struggling. "No – Your Majesty, please…"

"Silence!" Jareth growled. "Hail the Prince of the Land of Stench!" he cried, dropping Hoggle. 

To Hoggle's surprise, he did not land on the hard stone floor of the throne room, but splashed head-first in the Bog of Eternal Stench. He surfaced some time later, spluttering and cursing everyone from Jareth to his first friend. 

The Goblin King watched in amusement. He would deal with the dwarf further later, but he had other things to attend to. Turning to the guards, he ordered them to take the red beast and the Firey's to the dungeons, placing each one in separate cells. _Leave them there to rot for a few centuries, _he thought, _that should cure any insurrection. _Not that the Firey's had actually helped Sarah, but it lightened his mood. 

That only left a few rogue goblins who had been at the morta's party for some reason or another. They could do the foulest, dirtiest castle duties that he could think of; the stupid creatures would soon forget all about the possibility of going against their King. 

Jareth turned his attention back to the other problem at hand – Sarah. She _would come back to the Labyrinth. This time however, he would have immense power over her, and he would not be so generous._

A/N: So, what do you think? Review please!! =D  
-Cariah. 


	2. Lost and forgotten friends

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing here, except the plot. But like most people who write Labyrinth fan fiction, I _wish I owned Jareth. Unfortunately for me, and all those other unhappy Jareth-less people, I don't. Jim Henson does. So don't sue me, I know I own nothing *cries* _

**Cruel Heart  
**By Cariah Delonne.

**Chapter 2: Lost and forgotten friends.**

Sarah Williams glared stubbornly at the mirror in her bedroom. "Hoggle? Ludo? I know I haven't called you – don't be angry…," she said desperately, but to no avail. The mirror refused to show her a glimpse of her friends from the past, as it had for the last two days, and she was left staring at a reflection of herself, her raven hair falling neatly behind her shoulders.  Frowning, she stood up and walked to her bed, sitting down on it angrily. 

She had put away all of her childhood toys and costumes – exactly the opposite to what Jareth had told her to do not two months ago. It seemed so long ago that she had called him in a moment of anger, and found herself making the thirteen-hour journey through the Labyrinth. Her room was now almost a completely different sight. Her soft toys remained on the wall – Lancelot no longer among them, and she had not had the heart to take down her Escher print, but all the other things that served to remind her of the Labyrinth had been put away for good. 

*** Meanwhile, in the Underground ***

"Hoggle? Ludo? I know I haven't called you – don't be angry…," Sarah's voice echoed around the dungeon where Ludo was kept locked up. He replied to her echo mournfully. "Sarah… Sarah… Ludo want Sarah!"   
Jareth grinned sardonically to himself, as her voice echoed through the Labyrinth, a mocking echo of her words. 

Hoggle jumped at the sound of her voice – he was no longer having any success at killing fairies – the smell that followed him around killed any that did not disappear immediately, ruining any fun he could possibly now have in his low existence.   
Angry, at muttering at Jareth, he began to make his way home. 

"Who does he think he is, anyway? Just tipping whoever he pleases into that stench?" he plodded along, cursing Jareth to any hell he could think of and trying hard not to think of Sarah as her voice echoed above him. Even _she wouldn't want to see him like this. _

"Hello Headwart," came a cold voice from Hoggle's right. 

"Argh! For the last time, it's _Hoggle!_" His mouth fell open as he took in Jareth leaning casually against a wall. 

"Oh… I… Your Majesty… how generous of you to come see me…" 

"Hogbrain," Jareth admonished. "You know as well I heard every word You. Have. Said. One would think you could be a little wiser in who you wish to insult, hmm?" 

Hoggle paled, and refrained from correcting his name, "Yes, Your Majesty."  

"Good," replied Jareth, "Then you won't mind another little swim." 

Hoggle screamed as he was dunked into the foul-smelling bog yet again. When he resurfaced, Jareth had gone. He cursed him, only to hear Jareth's voice. "Now, now, Hoghead, mind your manners."   
Hoggle scowled and dragged himself out of the Bog back towards home. 

Sir Didymus watched from a little way away. He had been shocked to see his brother seemingly fall from nowhere into the sweet-smelling pond, but had returned to guarding the bridge – or rather the stones, when Hoggle had left.

Didymus too, had heard Sarah's cry, and the first time he had heard it, he had immediately gone to the fair maiden's aid. Although he could see her however, it seemed she could not see him. Didymus did not know what to make of such a strange event, but he had vowed to find a way to speak to her, and his vow he would keep. 

By lucky chance, Didymus had left last of the party, and had not been arrested. This too, confused Didymus, as he knew Jareth would know exactly who had left the underground. Perhaps his job of guarding the stone bridge was too important to lock him up in the dungeon with Ludo. Thinking of his noble brother, Didymus frowned. He too would need to be rescued – as soon as he had spoken to Sarah. Such a fair maiden would know what to do. 

Jareth watched Didymus' comings and goings with amused interest. The knight had purposefully not been arrested that fateful night, in order for Jareth to use him for his own dark purposes. The knight's unwitting attempts to contact Sarah would eventually lead to giving him, Jareth, complete control over her, and he smirked at the thought. Laughing, he threw a crystal playfully up into the air and caught it, as it showed him the mortal girl who thought she had defeated him forever. 

A/N: Review please! I know it's not clear just _how Jareth's going to get her under his control, but I like it like that. Thank you for your reviews in chapter 1!  
-Cariah =D_


	3. Sir Didymus

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. End of story.

**Cruel Heart**  
By Cariah Delonne

**Chapter 3: Sir Didymus**

Sarah sighed and turned away from her mirror. Things were going so completely awry from how she had imagined them – she had thought that when she got back, life would somehow be better. She understood Karen's insecurities around her; she understood so much about the world, and life in general. Jareth had been right – life _wasn't _fair. But she had learnt to accept it.

Now, however, things were starting to fly too quickly, too far, too fast. Her dad and Karen argued incessantly, about her, about Toby, about money. She began to wonder if he could possibly hold on to one woman in his life. To make things more complicated, she found herself siding with Karen more and more often, trying to make her father see what he was doing. Nothing worked. They still went out every Friday night, in an effort to keep up appearances, but Sarah knew better. She no longer minded being left at home with Toby – she now wondered what on earth possessed her to make such a foolish wish.

Her mind wandering back to that night, her nightmarish visit to hell, she looked up at the soft toy with the red and gold striped vest, his foxish nose grinning with the expectation of a noble quest. More often, her mind would focus on Hoggle or Ludo, their dependency, their insecurities, rather than the (however foolish and gallant) ravings of the knight.

She turned back to her mirror. "Sir Didymus?" she called softly. Her mind swept in with a thousand foolish remarks, making her feel extremely silly, and foolish – the others hadn't answered, why would he be different? Why wouldn't he have come when she called before? _Because you didn't call for him, _a small part of her mind argued defiantly.

Once more, she turned away and walked to her window.   
"Fair maiden?" came a small voice.

Sarah's head whipped around, her eyes falling with joy upon the small figure seated delicately on her bed.

"Sir Didymus!" she cried, "Why didn't you answer before?"   
"I could not come, fair Lady. I did try, and I vowed I would get through to you eventually – and I have succeeded in my noble quest!" he finished triumphantly.   
Sarah smiled. "Oh Didymus, where are the others? Could they not come? Are they sick?"

Instantly, Didymus' face clouded. "Fair maiden, bad and terrible things have happened in the Labyrinth since you came away. His highness has been in a most foul mood – indeed, if he knew I was here, he would have me locked away. But do not fear my lady, I do not fear the dungeons – I would go to the ends of the earth for a quest and a fair maiden, and I would triumph!"

Sarah sighed at the exuberance of the little knight – she had indeed forgotten his enthusiasm on matters noble. "What can you tell me of Hoggle, of Ludo?" she said in concern, turning back to the little fox.

"Alas, my brothers were captured upon their arrival back in the underground upon their last visit. Sir Hoggle is now addressed only as _Prince_ Hoggle and my noble brother Ludo is all alone in the dungeons."

Sarah's mouth fell open in horror, before her mind fully registered what he had said. "_Prince _Hoggle?"   
"Aye my Lady – I understand his majesty had quite a temper when they got back – he made Sir Hoggle _Prince of the Land of Stench_," he replied sadly.   
"That too, is why I have been trying to see you – we need your help fair maiden – the inhabitants of the Labyrinth need your help. Jareth is uncontrollable – and I cannot – will not – rest until my brothers are free from their unjust punishments. Will you help us, fair Lady?"

Sarah stared at him, dumbfounded, her problems fallen away behind her, as she faced the enormity of what Didymus was asking of her.

"You want me to lead a rebellion against Jareth?"

* * *

A/N: Yeah, I've neglected this one a little bit! Sorry! (Although it was funny writing Didymus - sorry if it's a bit weird - I always think he's a bit centred around quests etc too much, so that's a major thing here!) Thank you for all your reviews =D Please leave me a little thought, what you think of it! I have a pretty clear idea where this is going – my muse has returned! It might even be a JS in the end – now that would be something new for me…   
Thank you for reading, please leave a review .  
Cariah.


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